Nils Arne Eggen, the most successful club manager in Norwegian football history and manager of Rosenborg’s golden era, died at 81 years of age.
“Today we received with great sadness the message that the greatest legend of the club has died. Nils Arne passed away last night surrounded by his closest relatives”, states a statement from Rosenborg.
Although Eggen won three leagues as a player with Rosenborg and the Vålerenga and was capped 29 times with the senior team, he is mostly remembered for his coaching career.
Between and 2010, in four different stages, led Rosenborg to win 14 leagues, 11 of them in a row, and qualified for the Champions League eight consecutive times, apart from achieve six cups and as many doubles.
It was in the top European competition where Eggen achieved some of his most notorious victories, such as 2-0 in 1997 to Real Madrid (the only defeat in that tournament for the team that won its seventh European Cup) or those achieved in subsequent seasons and away against Milan ( 1-2) or Borussia Dortmund (0-3).
Eggen, who was also the Norwegian coach, conquered another league more on 1987 as Moss technician.
Retired from 2016, he was an icon of Norwegian football who had his own statue in front of Lerkendal, Rosenborg’s stadium.
“Few people have meant more to Norwegian sport than he has and few have shown so many that the impossible is possible,” said Norwegian Culture Minister Anette Trettebergstuen.
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